Worst. Game. Ever.
Okay, I exaggerated a bit in the headline. But it was easily the worst game of the season for the Leafs.
We fell to the Isles 6-1 Friday morning my time in John Tavares' first game there since he signed with the Leafs last summer.
It was our first 5-goal loss of the season but that wasn't the sole reason, or even the biggest reason, why I think this was our worst performance of the season.
The bottom line: these guys quit. They quit on John Tavares, they quit on themselves, and they quit on fans like moi.
And for the first time this season, I switched off the game before the end purely out of frustration and anger. I have stopped watching games for work and other reasons, of course, but this was the first time I voluntarily turned off the game all season (or maybe in the last 3 seasons?). I did it after the bad guys scored 33 seconds into the third period to make it 5-1.
I was so mad that I couldn't even bring myself to blog about it the same day. I had to wait more than 24 hours to sit down and write about it.
Now I realize I really don't have much to say.
Or maybe I do.
All Talk, No Walk
Some Leafs players talked about how they knew fans in New York would be hostile (there were some video clips going around in social media with people calling JT everything from "snake to "traitor" to "liar") and that they would be prepared to help him any way they can.
Guess what, they talked the talk, and they just failed miserably trying to walk the walk.
We scored the first goal, which was a nice change after letting the other guys open the scoring in six consecutive games, and it was from JTs line. Though JT didn't get a point on the goal by Zach Hyman, he was very much involved in the play and you could see Hyman was really excited for his centerman, too.
But that was really it. Things went all downhill from there. The Islanders, shockingly in first place and leading the NHL in fewest goals allowed, scored six straight goals on us and suffocated our offense. Hyman scored what looked to be a pretty goal that would have tied the score at 2-2, had it not been wiped out on an offside call. It looked offside to me in real time and once it was called, off, it looked to take whatever little wind we had out of our sails.
Granted, it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Leafs. But really, that's no excuse for the clunker we had in this game. And blaming the momentum shift on that canceled goal is a lame excuse, as far as I am concerned.
The Leafs had every reason to be fired up for this game. It was JT's return. The guys new they were walking into a hostile environment. If nothing else, it was going to be a sneak preview into what away arenas will feel like in the playoffs (obviously with less booing and less throwing of stuff to the ice and less burning of jerseys and fewer signs like these). This was their opportunity to really step up and come through for their leading goal scorer.
But no. We folded. We cowered. We played scared. I've written a few times about how I feel confident in the Leafs team as it's currently structured and how I believe our skills and speed will allow us to beat opponents built more or grit and checking game in the playoffs. At least for one game, those guys made me look pretty dumb.
JT's line played okay, but that was really the only line to even play above average. Nylander's line was invisible. Ditto for Matthews' unit. Without Gardiner and Dermott, the defense was downright terrible. Martin Marincin played like he doesn't belong in the NHL.
We've lost two games to the Islanders this season by a combined 10-1. They won't even be the most physical team in the playoffs. If we can't do squat against a team like the Islanders, then what chance do we stand against someone like the Bruins or the Capitals in a seven-game series?
In many ways, the loss reminded me of the Raptors' first visit to San Antonio since Kawhi's trade. This was also a hostile environment, with boos raining down on Kawhi. And Kawhi's teammates also played scared. We went down by something like 20 points in the first quarter and the game was effectively over right then and there.
JT and Kawhi have a few things in common. They are both great players, to be sure, but they're also unassuming and stoic athletes who exude quiet professionalism. They keep their head down, do their job (and do it well) and move on to the next task.
Not in a million years will either of them ever talk bad things about their teammates regarding the losses in their old stomping ground. But deep inside, they must have been seething.
At least Kawhi got traded. JT chose to sign with the Leafs. Was this really the best his teammates could do for him?
Not even close. Those guys owe him something. We pay another visit on April 2 my time. It will be our 79th game of the season, and could have huge implications as far as playoff seeds. We'd better be ready for that one.
Boos and All
I've already expressed my feelings about booing athletes here. To sum, I feel that fans have all the rights to boo or hackle whatever athletes are their targets, as long as they don't physically harm people.
I was fine with the hostile reaction of the Islanders' fans. Though free agents are free to sign with any team they want, I suppose the Isles fans felt that JT led them on and betrayed them at the end. They could have traded him at the deadline and got something in return for him before he entered the open market. Instead, he apparently asked not to be traded so he could stay with the Isles and then left anyway.
The fans were also offended with this pic on Twitter (and JT earned himself the moniker "Pajama Boy" in his return).
Anyway, if Auston Matthews left the Leafs after his five-year deal runs out and signs with the Arizona Coyotes and posts a picture of his 5-year-old self in a Coyotes blanket, I'd be pretty angry, too.
I was only peeved at people throwing stuff at JT. Someone threw a hockey jersey toward him as he left the ice after the warmup. Now, a hockey jersey won't injure anyone, but it's the act of it that I found really disrespectful.
Given the atmosphere inside and outside the rink, maybe I should be glad no one threw anything harder or more dangerous (unless I missed something).
We fell to the Isles 6-1 Friday morning my time in John Tavares' first game there since he signed with the Leafs last summer.
It was our first 5-goal loss of the season but that wasn't the sole reason, or even the biggest reason, why I think this was our worst performance of the season.
The bottom line: these guys quit. They quit on John Tavares, they quit on themselves, and they quit on fans like moi.
And for the first time this season, I switched off the game before the end purely out of frustration and anger. I have stopped watching games for work and other reasons, of course, but this was the first time I voluntarily turned off the game all season (or maybe in the last 3 seasons?). I did it after the bad guys scored 33 seconds into the third period to make it 5-1.
I was so mad that I couldn't even bring myself to blog about it the same day. I had to wait more than 24 hours to sit down and write about it.
Now I realize I really don't have much to say.
Or maybe I do.
All Talk, No Walk
Some Leafs players talked about how they knew fans in New York would be hostile (there were some video clips going around in social media with people calling JT everything from "snake to "traitor" to "liar") and that they would be prepared to help him any way they can.
Guess what, they talked the talk, and they just failed miserably trying to walk the walk.
We scored the first goal, which was a nice change after letting the other guys open the scoring in six consecutive games, and it was from JTs line. Though JT didn't get a point on the goal by Zach Hyman, he was very much involved in the play and you could see Hyman was really excited for his centerman, too.
But that was really it. Things went all downhill from there. The Islanders, shockingly in first place and leading the NHL in fewest goals allowed, scored six straight goals on us and suffocated our offense. Hyman scored what looked to be a pretty goal that would have tied the score at 2-2, had it not been wiped out on an offside call. It looked offside to me in real time and once it was called, off, it looked to take whatever little wind we had out of our sails.
Granted, it was the second night of a back-to-back for the Leafs. But really, that's no excuse for the clunker we had in this game. And blaming the momentum shift on that canceled goal is a lame excuse, as far as I am concerned.
The Leafs had every reason to be fired up for this game. It was JT's return. The guys new they were walking into a hostile environment. If nothing else, it was going to be a sneak preview into what away arenas will feel like in the playoffs (obviously with less booing and less throwing of stuff to the ice and less burning of jerseys and fewer signs like these). This was their opportunity to really step up and come through for their leading goal scorer.
But no. We folded. We cowered. We played scared. I've written a few times about how I feel confident in the Leafs team as it's currently structured and how I believe our skills and speed will allow us to beat opponents built more or grit and checking game in the playoffs. At least for one game, those guys made me look pretty dumb.
JT's line played okay, but that was really the only line to even play above average. Nylander's line was invisible. Ditto for Matthews' unit. Without Gardiner and Dermott, the defense was downright terrible. Martin Marincin played like he doesn't belong in the NHL.
We've lost two games to the Islanders this season by a combined 10-1. They won't even be the most physical team in the playoffs. If we can't do squat against a team like the Islanders, then what chance do we stand against someone like the Bruins or the Capitals in a seven-game series?
In many ways, the loss reminded me of the Raptors' first visit to San Antonio since Kawhi's trade. This was also a hostile environment, with boos raining down on Kawhi. And Kawhi's teammates also played scared. We went down by something like 20 points in the first quarter and the game was effectively over right then and there.
JT and Kawhi have a few things in common. They are both great players, to be sure, but they're also unassuming and stoic athletes who exude quiet professionalism. They keep their head down, do their job (and do it well) and move on to the next task.
Not in a million years will either of them ever talk bad things about their teammates regarding the losses in their old stomping ground. But deep inside, they must have been seething.
At least Kawhi got traded. JT chose to sign with the Leafs. Was this really the best his teammates could do for him?
Not even close. Those guys owe him something. We pay another visit on April 2 my time. It will be our 79th game of the season, and could have huge implications as far as playoff seeds. We'd better be ready for that one.
Boos and All
I've already expressed my feelings about booing athletes here. To sum, I feel that fans have all the rights to boo or hackle whatever athletes are their targets, as long as they don't physically harm people.
I was fine with the hostile reaction of the Islanders' fans. Though free agents are free to sign with any team they want, I suppose the Isles fans felt that JT led them on and betrayed them at the end. They could have traded him at the deadline and got something in return for him before he entered the open market. Instead, he apparently asked not to be traded so he could stay with the Isles and then left anyway.
The fans were also offended with this pic on Twitter (and JT earned himself the moniker "Pajama Boy" in his return).
Not everyday you can live a childhood dream pic.twitter.com/YUTKdfMALl— John Tavares (@91Tavares) 2018년 7월 1일
Anyway, if Auston Matthews left the Leafs after his five-year deal runs out and signs with the Arizona Coyotes and posts a picture of his 5-year-old self in a Coyotes blanket, I'd be pretty angry, too.
I was only peeved at people throwing stuff at JT. Someone threw a hockey jersey toward him as he left the ice after the warmup. Now, a hockey jersey won't injure anyone, but it's the act of it that I found really disrespectful.
Given the atmosphere inside and outside the rink, maybe I should be glad no one threw anything harder or more dangerous (unless I missed something).
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